Lu Jianping and Shui Ruohan -
The True Meaning of Love
Author: Therese O'Domhnaill (Australia)
In most ancient series, to express love relationship is always the hardest part due to the old time custom of the difference between men and women in that era. Therefore, most directors would concentrate on other parts of the series such as martial arts fighting, war between good and bad, etc. Because, it is understandable that they could not extend any further romantic scenes where the tradition of that era only allowed limited contacts between men and women.
But Swordgirl has gone beyond that and still amazingly stayed within that circle of tradition. Watching Vicki and Nicky as Jianping and Ruohan in Swordgirl has made me think of those love poems of the famous ancient poets who had used their imaginative words to portray the most wonderful relationship of mankind, "love" between men and women.
Love can be seen in the look of their eyes when gazing at each other, or the eyes contact just exchanging quickly in the wake of their own feelings. Jianping, an innocent happy girl has started learning how to love and how to gradually realize the difference of this new love in her life, as it's far different from her love for Mo Ma (her nanny) and her father. Vicki has brilliantly consummated this pathos, the learning edge was hard and painful as she had no support from any one around her. She has to use her own instinct to actualize her feeling but she did it naturally and triumphantly. Perhaps, she has had some help from Ruohan (Nicky) as he was falling in love with her at the same time as she was with him, they were both entering into that wonderful world without knowing it. To Jianping, she only knows that she just wanted to be with him, she loves to look at him painting and listen to him playing flute. To Ruohan, he only knows that he can be happy only when she's nearby, he can actually laugh at her witty charisma and blissfully play with her - something which he had never done before. At this time, little did they know what it was about; only their eyes can tell how much they feel for each other.
The amateur lovers started accomplishing the taste of love, there were tears and laughter, misery and happiness but all had focused into one hope in their minds, able to love and to have each other. The price is not cheap; Jianping has nearly lost her father and her life and Ruohan could not fulfill the duty set out by his foster father which resulted in him jumping into Jianping's sword rather than having to hurt her. How true it was with an old saying {"Love" can not just "come" and "go", you either "have it" or "not have it"}, in whatever situation, as long as they live, they still have each other in their mind.
Finally, they made it together, at least for the time being they can be together and declared their love for each other. With love blossoming and beside her loved one, Jianping has retrieved her own buoyant character back from those innocent days and together, they were like a pair of love doves flying out there into the world experimenting the simple but meaningful life as a normal couple. In their journey, Jianping has unveiled the real person in Ruohan, she helped Ruohan to discover himself with the feeling of being alive. I can never forget the touching part of them sharing the experience of seeing a new life by helping a mother to deliver the baby and raised the baby. They lived like a loving couple who has just had their first child; it was such a beautiful scene when Ruohan went to work at the harbour with Jianping arriving carrying the baby waiting for Ruohan to come down for lunch. Such simplicity, such joyfulness in their sweet smiles and the loving gazes shared between them. At that moment, I have just realized what is the meaning of true love, which Vicki and Nicky have conveyed vividly with Jianping and Ruohan to demonstrate this special feeling of human beings.
Perhaps there are many times, words are too limited for their feelings - like at wedding ceremony, Jianping's aching heart can not bring herself to the joyous event, only memories of those happy days with her true love. Growing up is not easy, being in love is even much harder especially "true love", the kind of relationship that happens only once in a life time. How much one has to endure to bury one's own heart so the mind can take over. Suddenly, every thing has changed; to cope and go through with it for an 18 years old is appalling. Would Jianping ever be the same again if Ruohan no longer exists? It looked as if she has frozen herself, not even one drop of tear in sight when she was in the palanquin at the wedding ceremony. Then Ruohan flew down from no where and the lovers were just standing there, staring at each other, their eyes were just sinking into each other's and their thoughts had only focused into one common point. With red rose petals flying around them, nobody else exists in their eyes, even when the royal guards started attacking Ruohan, he was then fighting them off to make way towards her but his eyes were still fixed on hers. When they were as close as within each other's touch, the barrier has been crossed, the ice has been broken, tears started to fill her eyes and dropped down, Jianping was no longer able to control her feelings, not even one word was spoken but I can hear very loudly from her heart "this is the person I truly love and he is just in front of me". Could that be acting? I doubt it if reading straight out from my heart. If it was really just acting, then they were the finest amongst the best, what can I say, perhaps words are now too limited for me to describe such awesome performance.
Thank you, thanks for letting me see and feel such extraordinary bonding. Love is simple yet also complicated, full of contradictions, let alone "true love" . I now know what it is and how it feels, and also understand why human life is more precious than other kinds as we do have a heart to love - God has created a heart for us all for that special purpose.
Reposted from Vicki Zhao Wei International Net Family